Understanding changes in your teenager (1127)

Early adolescence is one of the fastest and most dramatic periods of physical changes individuals go through. It is during these often difficult years that the child becomes an adult.

Certain hormones in a child's body trigger physical growth. Both parents and children need to know and remember that these hormonal changes can also affect moods.

The sudden and extreme growth that the child goes through often causes problems with coordination. This is because the child must adjust to bodily changes. In addition, different parts of the body grow at different rates.

Teenagers are at greater risk for nutritional deficiencies and eating problems. Teens need a tremendous amount of body-building foods, especially proteins and calcium. Obesity and eating disorders may also become health problems for teens.

Besides physical changes, there are other changes teenagers go through. As children enter the teenage years, they begin to think in more complex and sophisticated ways.

They also become more aware of how other people think about the world, and that their own beliefs on a certain subject may differ from those of others.

To the young adolescent, the subject of greatest interest is often herself. Since young adolescents sometimes have trouble distinguishing between what others think and what they are thinking themselves, they sometimes think that other people are as concerned with their behavior and appearance as they are themselves.

Parents may find the teen's preoccupation with himself or herself rather annoying. At these times, it may be helpful for parents to remember, first, that this preoccupation with self is the result of the young teen's style of thinking and, second, that this style of thinking occurs in most young teens and is not deliberate. It's also worth remembering that the teens' concern with what others think is not entirely unjustified. Young teens are, in fact, very critical of one another and notice and pay attention to details.

One of the greatest difficulties in trying to become an adult is establishing independence while maintaining a loving parent–adult child relationship. The teen's desire for independence becomes a real problem only when teens and/or parents view it as a struggle for control.

The teen years are among the most exciting and challenging periods of life. Your support and concern at this time can do a great deal to strengthen your relationship with your child and provide a foundation for the years of growth and change ahead.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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